Floating snap fastener socket



May 17, 1932,

P. E. FENTON FLOATING SNAP FASTENER SOCKET Filed March 15', 1950 Patented May 17, 1932 UNITED STATES PATEN' m ce PAUL E. F-ENTON, OF THOMASTON', GONNEGTIG'UT, ASSIGNORTO SCOVILL MANUFAGs TUBING COMPANY, OF WATERBURY, C0NN ECTICUT',.

A CORPORATION OF CONNECT FLOATING SNAP FASTENER SOCKET Application filed March 15, 1930. Serial No. 436,210.

The object of this invention is to provide a two-part resilient socket member of a snap fastener, adapted for use on articles of leather, fabric and other materials, and capable of being set accurately and in a relatively flat and inconspicuous condition and yet in a secure operative manner.

The invention consists of a cap slightly rounded on top and peripherally, and provided with a depending fingered rim, and a resilient stud-engaging element having a flange which fits loosely within the cap and is retained therein by bending or closing in the fingers of the rim beneath it, the flange terminating in a slit-ted barrel and the ends of the portion of the barrel between the slits being inturned to engage the constricted neck of a complemental non-resilient stud of any usual or approved construction, as I will proceed now to explain more fully and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is an outside or top plan view of the cap. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the as sembled cap andstud-engaging element, and 3 and i are respectively an elevation and cross-section thereof. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the fingered cap. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the stud-engaging element, and Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. 8 is a cross-section of the device mounted .upon a piece of material.

The cap or shell is made of sheet metal, with the slightly rounded top 1 and rim 2, the latter being curved inwardly and provided with an inset back rim 3, having the fingers 4:.

The stud-engaging element comprises a flange 5, of a diameter slightly less than the greater diameter of the interior of the cap, and a apering barrel 6 slitted as at 6', with the material betweenthe slits turned inwardly to form lips 7 providing a medium which will engage the constricted neck of a complemental rigid or non-resilient stud fastener of usual or approved construction (not shown).

The stud-engaging element is inserted in the can when the cap is in the condition shown in Fig. 5, and then the fingers 4- of the cap are turned inwardly, as shown inFi-gs. 2,

3 and 4t, underneath the flange 5 of the stud-' engaging element so as to form a back to supportsaid element loosely within the cap.

The'thus assembled parts are adapted to be applied to a garment or other article, by nieansof a flanged eyelet 8, the barrel 9 of which extends between the outside of the r stud-engaging element and the inner side of the fingers of the cap, the looseness of fit between the cap and the stud-engaging element being such asto permit the entranceof the barrel of the eyelet between them, the curvature of the; stud-engaging. element next to its flange serving to overturn and thus clinch the eyelet so as to secure the. device upon an article represented in Fig. 8 at 10.

The increase in diameter of the flange of the resilient studengaging element to a dimension approximately a few thousandths of an inch less than the inside diameter of the cap or shell, allows a slight tendency of the stud-engaging element to float or move about, i

and naturally this will assist materially in facilitating accurate assembly of the socket with a complemental head or stud.

Referring to Fig. 8, it will be seen that when the partsare assembled and set upon an objectthe floatabi'li-ty of the stud-engaging element is preserved, that is to say,this studengaging element is free to move within the cap. 7 g

In setting the device, the fingers have a tendency to crush down under pressure of the setting machine and the material, without materially disturbing the relative position of the stud-engaging element to the attaching eyelet. This isdue to the fact that the back of thecap has a tendency to crush, and this is particularly so as a compensation for the greater thickness of the material on which the device is set.

V VVitho-ut the fingered cap, which is weaker than a solid cap, the cap itself would not have a tendency to crush and compensate to allow the stud-engaging element to rest in its proper relation with the flange of the attaching eyelet. i p

I am aware that it is old to make a two-par snap fastener element provided with a solid.

or unfingered cap and a resilient stud-engaging element; and I am also aware that it is old to make a two-part socket member in which there is a cap and a non-resilient studengaging element, but in both cases the flange of the stud-engaging element'is of the same diameter as the inside diameter of the cap and there is no provision for play. I am also aware that it is old to make a two-part socket member, the cap of which is provided with a straight or unrounded edge and in which the flange of the stud-engaging element is of the same diameter as the inside diameter of the cap and this flange is closed in by fingered portions of the cap. And I am also aware that it isold to make a glove fastener socket provided with an anvil having rim-teeth or prongs turned inwardly which serve to support the material to which the device is applied; but I believe I am the first to make a snap fastener socket having a rounded and fingered cap closed down upon the flange of a resilient stud-engaging element and serving to admit oftlie crushing incident to set ting the parts on an article without impairing the operative relations of the two parts and the floatability of the stud-engaging element within the rounded top 1 and its rim 2.

Variations in the details of construction are permissible within the principle of the invention and the claim following.

What I claim is A snap fastener socket, comprising a cap rounded on top and peripherally and having an inset back rim terminating in fingers, and a stud-engaging element having a flange of sufliciently less external diameter than the internal diameter of the rounded cap and loosely held in said cap by said fingers turned inwardly below said flange and forming a back to support the stud-engaging element loosely within the cap to permit the studengaging element to be floatable in the cap to facilitate the assembling andsetting of the device, the exposed portion of the stud;

engaging element being resilient and having I an inturned stud-engaging portion, the inturned fingers of the cap forming the back of the cap being spaced apart from the flange V of the stud-engaging element, and an attachelement received and secured between said flange and the inturned fingers, the studengaging member being so positioned and related to the cap and attaching element as to have free floatability therein.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of March, A. D. 1930.-

, PAUL E. FENTON. 

